{ my valentine }

We celebrated Valentine's Day yesterday and it was such a great day! I feel so lucky to be able to share my life with such an amazing man. He is my best friend. We love our life together! I can't believe that this is our 4th Valentine's day together. How crazy.

Our perfect day included the following:

1. Cuddling! Is it weird that we've been married for almost 3 years and we still love to cuddle?

2. Workout together. Jillian's 30 day shred has been kicking our butts.(Jared knows how happy this makes me.)

3. Valentine's Breakfast: Pink poppyseed cake & raspberry crystal light.



4. Exchanged Valentine's. Cards are one of my most favorite parts of holidays.



5. I gave Jared socks and threw away all of his socks with holes in them. He has been saying forever that he can't wait until we are rich enough to not have to wear socks with holes in them. I told him we are already that rich.

6. Jared got me some long stem roses. I love having fresh flowers in my house!



7. Nap

8. Dinner at Mercadito. Such a great restaurant! Perfect decor. Great service. Delicious food. & they even have 6 different kinds of guacamole! I don't think Jared has been that happy at a restaurant since he discovered the gourmet mac and 5 cheeses at TGI Fridays.

(This is a terrible picture. We were too embarrassed to turn the flash on. But Jared wanted to make sure we got a picture. :) )


9. Watched Bachelor. (Jared had to bail because he had to help someone he hometeaches, I guess that is a pretty good excuse. I know he really did want to watch it.)

10. Ate our cupcakes from Sprinkles. I love this little cupcake shop.




I feel so blessed to have love in my life.

LOVE

" We need an unspoiled companion who will not count or wrinkles, remember our stupidities nor remember our weaknesses; ... we need a loving companion with whom we have suffered and wept and prayed and worshiped one with whom we have suffered sorrow and disappointments, one who loves us for what we are or intend to be rather than what we appear to be in our gilded shell."

Spencer W. Kimball

Blizzard!

This is Lake Shore Dr. one of the main highways here in Chicago! Pretty crazy. Lots of cars got stuck last night for hours upon hours and many had to abandon their cars. I'm not sure what the city is going to do about all this snow.

This plow was stuck. That was as far as it could go down the road.

That white field is the lake.

I don't think we'll be driving our car anytime soon.

There is at least 3-4 feet of snow on the entire road where our car is parked. There is even a car stuck in the middle.

This is the sidewalk! How crazy?

I chopped my hair!

I feel like my hair has been the same forever! This was a much needed change!

Wow. Did it always look that nasty in back and I just didn't know?

A little emo? maybe.

Jared's 27th Birthday!

Jared's birthday is the day before Christmas Eve, which means it can easily get mushed into everything else. So I was thinking it would be fun to get away and go to a nice hotel to celebrate. Jared didn't think that was such a good idea. Instead he wanted to go laser tagging. So we went with my family and it was so much fun! It was pretty hilarious. I think my mom only shot about 4 people in the entire hour. I was the MVP for my team! I guess I have some secret skills. It was just us in the whole place with one other birthday party. The birthday boy was 10.

It was such a fun day. I love this boy so much! Sharing our lives together is so much fun!

Candy Works

Jared and this little cutie were buds over Christmas. I'm not sure if it was the candy at church, or candy for hugs exchanges, but Jared did win Peyton over. This is so attractive to me. Love him.

Christmas Eve & Christmas Morning

On Christmas Eve we always go to my Aunt Dicksy's house for a party. It's so great to get together with everybody!

We started the night off with our traditional bingo game with awesome prizes.

My Mom led all the kids in some Christmas songs with the bells. The kids loved it.

Jordan and Carston being the Innkeeper and Joseph in the Nativity play. Carston even memorized his part!

Jared being the donkey.

Singing some Christmas Hymns on Christmas morning before we open presents. I love this tradition.

Two very excited girls!

Jared and me on Christmas morning.

I told Jared all I wanted for Christmas was for him to give me one of his ugly shirts. Does that make me an awful wife? He gave it to me and I cut it up. Good riddance.

This year for Christmas my sister Natalie made my mom a headboard and we got her bedding to go with it. She hasn't had a headboard since forever. I love her reaction! She is so fun to buy for because she is so appreciative! We love you Mom and Dad!

*Christmas*

This year we went to my house in Utah! Everyone was able to be home for Christmas and it was so great! I love my family so much!

My Mom and Dad decorated the house so beautifully!

The awesome snowman Dustin built with the girls.

We got to see Dustin's mail truck. He is the cutest mailman ever.

Lots of little girls having fun!

My cute Grandma Janice after she came over for a haircut.

Aaron, Jared, and Dustin before they went skiing!

Love this.

I'm a little obsessed with this song right now. Love it.